Imaginaries said very little, but they kept order in the school. On top of that, they were exceptionally smart.
So this particular Imaginary confronted the aggressive
pupil.
“You must behave,” he told him calmly but in a voice that brooked no argument, “especially since you are a guest in this school. If you wish to challenge your fellow student, then you must do it according to the only way that is permitted in this school. Through the Game.”
This was another area of school lore which the pupils got to know about. Every year the Director chose one game to be the Game of the Year. This game was the means through which students were obliged to resolve any quarrel likely to lead to physical violence, since physical violence was strictly forbidden. Opponents fought through the game – although of course anyone could play without having a quarrel to settle. There was also a huge competition at the end of the year when anyone could play the game in the hope of winning a big prize.
This year the Game chosen by the Director was Art of War Chess. The rules of this game were not very different to those of standard chess – after the first move, that is - with the